I was born in Germany, to an Air Force family. My Dad is from Ohio ( the Toledo area) , my Mom from the gem stone town of Idar-Oberstein in western Germany . I grew up in Spain, Turkey , the Azores, and summers in Germany with my Oma . We also traveled to many neighboring countries . I got to take in many historic sites, museums, different people , and exotic foods. Stateside I also lived in FL, Miss, VA and TX. I was an avid reader ,enjoyed drawing , and writing essays in school. This constantly moving lifestyle was both exciting and disruptive .Sometimes we'd be somewhere for one year, sometimes for two or three. It is the only one I have ever known . My husband was also affiliated with the military and so we also moved around a lot .We saw Germany, Pennsylvania , West Virginia and Maryland. Our only daughter was born during our time in the Alps . I have worked mostly in retail over the years. I speak ,read and write German and have also done translations as well as worked at various volunteer organizations. I have always found ways to express my creativity in assorted ways over the years , from cooking /baking , family picture collages , interior design with every house or apt we moved into ,computer designed business and Christmas cards for family to handmade holiday cards for my husband's co- workers . Our everyday lives were shattered when my husband was murdered at work in July 2002, several weeks short of our 20th wedding anniversary . His case remains unsolved. It's been a long road to OK for my daughter and I . I have found solace in expanded creativity . I began an expensive love affair with mosaics , finding release in the breaking and nipping of solid tile , then giving it a new life in a different shape. After returning to college in late 2004 , I began to write free verse poetry and was published in my college literary magazine for the next two years . In May 2006, after living in the Houston suburbs with my parents for the four years after my husband's tragic death , and one hurricane evacuation too many ,we decided to pick up our lives and take them in a different direction. One with no coastline nearby. "Find Your Spot" website pointed us in the direction of New England based on our answers to their questionnaire. We set our sights on western Massachusetts and began the process of leaving Texas. In late October we were finally ready to roll. My daughter and I love our new found home !The landscape, the people, and the creative energy here is amazing. This is the first time in our lives that we chose the place , instead of it being chosen for us. We haven't looked back yet.